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  1. Gently Mad
    Longview TX
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    An invaluable read
    April 12, 2013
    Gently Mad
    Longview TX
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    It amazes me that many Christian authors who are focused on the last days do not seem to be aware of what is happening in the Jewish community around the world.

    Just as the Bible predicted, the Jewish people are being restored to their land and to their Messiah.

    Although Jewish people who accept Yeshua HaMashiach are often ostracized by their families, friends and business associates, Jews all over the world are turning to him and becoming Messianic Jews in numbers not seen since the first century.

    This is how Mr. Bernis opens his book, A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days. Bernis first describes his own Jewish upbringing and how he came to know the Lord (a girl he used to do heavy drugs with in college became a Christian and was instrumental in leading him to faith.)

    Bernis then goes on to give a brief history of the Jews and how we can know that the last days prophesied in Revelation are near.

    In his chapter "Why Satan Hates the Jews", he gives a history of their persecution from the Roman destruction of the Temple, the thousands that were massacred during the Crusades, all the countries that expelled them, the Spanish Inquisition, the ghettos of 1826, Russian pogroms, and let's not forget Hitler.

    The infamous Adolf Eichmann (1902-1962), sometimes referred to as "the architect of the Holocaust" and who was hanged for his crimes in 1962, once said, "Throughout history men have dreamed of destroying the children of Abraham."

    True but the question remains: Why? (pg. 31)

    Bernis then goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden and explains God's purpose for the Jews and His plan of salvation for all of mankind through the Jewish nation. This is why Satan wants to destroy the Jews. Because he hates God and wants to destroy as many of His creation as he can.

    The second reason we can know that Jesus' return is imminent is that the scattered Jews are returning to Israel from the four corners of the earth. He discusses Israel becoming a nation and Jews from all over the world returning there. He points to Biblical prophecy from the Old Testament that is being fulfilled today.

    The third reason is because many thousands of Jews are turning to Yeshua (chapter 4 "Something is Happening among the Jewish People" pg. 57) Bernis describes his trips to the former Soviet Union where hundreds of Jews came to Bernis' preaching venues and surrendered their lives to Christ.

    In a country beaten down by atheistic values Bernis describes the hunger for the Gospel there. He found the Jews there very receptive to hearing about Yeshua (as opposed to the U.S. where there is great resistance to belief in Christ and fear of losing one's "Jewish identity").

    He also has some interesting comments on the times of the Gentiles nearing fulfillment which ushers in the time for the Jews to receive salvation.

    The second part calls upon Christians and their responsibility to share the gospel among Jewish people.

    Bernis points out that many well-meaning Christians won't share the Gospel with Jews because they don't want to offend them or even believe there's no need since being God's chosen people saves them.

    Bernis gives a helpful chapter in which he discusses what sort of semantics a Christian should use when sharing the Gospel with a Jewish person. So much of Christianity has been so "Europeanized" that Jesus Christ is practically unrecognizable to Jews (he said he thought Jesus' parents were Mr. and Mrs. Christ. Christ is the Greek word for "Messiah").

    He finishes with an interesting chapter on the Tabernacle feasts and especially the Passover and how they foreshadow the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the Passover lamb "who died once and for all for all our sins, yesterday, today and forever".

    All in all, I found this an interesting book and a good one for Christians to read to learn about the end times and witnessing to God's special people from a Messianic Rabbi's perspective.
  2. Ida Giordano
    New York
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    5 Stars Out Of 5
    A real blessing to read.
    May 24, 2013
    Ida Giordano
    New York
    Age: 55-65
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    Rabbi Bernis is a wonderful writter and his books are a blessing to read.
  3. Jessica
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Israel and the Last Days
    March 20, 2013
    Jessica
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 3
    While most books about the last days focus on the Rapture of the church and the Tribulation period, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis focuses his attention on signs we can see now that point to the last days, as well as things that need to happen for Jesus to return. Bernis suggests that Israel lay at the heart of the last days and end times prophecies. He provides several Scriptures, from both the Old and New Testaments, in support of this.

    The point he focuses on most is the salvation of Israel, as a people. He believes that Jesus will not return until the people of Israel call on Jesus as Messiah. Because of this, he spends a large portion of the book discussing the history of the Jewish people, especially in regard to why they reject Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. He also discusses how to evangelize to a Jewish person, and bring to light several misconceptions that Christians have about Jews, and vice versa.

    There were things in this book that I knew already, including the fact that Israel will play a large part in the last days, but I also learned a few things. Scriptures that I didn't realize were directed to the people of Israel were brought into focus. Some of the misconceptions Christians and Jews have about each other... I never would have guessed some of those.

    Overall, this is a very interesting read, but the title is a bit vague. If you are looking for discussion of the Rapture or Tribulation, you won't find that here.
  4. Dorie
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    An Interesting Perspective
    March 10, 2013
    Dorie
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    Bernis, a Messianic Jew, does not claim to know everything about every prophetic message. This is, of course, refreshing in comparison to some people and groups who claim to know every single detail of the last days. In fact, Bernis does not even attempt to uncover and explain each passage of Scripture which deals with the last days. Instead, he specifically and systematically looks at Old Testament and New Testament passages which reveal Israel's role in the end times. This is not to say he pulls Scripture out of context. On the contrary, his analysis appears to be based on the context of the entire counsel of God's Word.

    In general, I like learning about prophecy. Therefore, for me, as one who is grafted in, it was interesting to read thoughts on the last days from the perspective of a Jewish person who follows Jesus.

    I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
  5. Josi
    Baker City, OR
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    3 Stars Out Of 5
    Not your typical "End Times" book
    February 17, 2013
    Josi
    Baker City, OR
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 3
    Value: 3
    Meets Expectations: 3
    "A Rabbi Looks at the Last Days" was not what I was expecting. Perhaps I've read one too many `End Times' books and somewhere along the way formed a preconceived idea that any book pertaining to the Last Days would by nature attempt an argument for a pre-Trib, or mid-Trib, or post-Trib, return of Jesus. Furthermore, I expected that it would attempt to analyze current events and political trends to make predictions and hypotheses, and that it would use words like "new world order", "mark of the beast", and "antichrist" liberally. Author Jonathan Bernis doesn't do any of those things. So let's be clear right at the start- if that is what you're looking for- this book won't interest you. If, however, you are honestly seeking perspective and wisdom, then you will be intrigued by Bernis's argument that Christ's return hinges on widespread acceptance of the true Gospel by the Jewish people, and that this must become the focus of the Church today.

    But before he gets to that, Bernis spends a good deal of time trying to correct what he sees as common misperceptions pertaining to the Jewish people. He argues, for instance, that the Jews have not rejected the Gospel; rather, they have not heard the true Gospel. Indeed, throughout history the Jews have been blamed for killing Jesus and have been reviled and persecuted as a result- most often at the hands of so-called Christians. Bernis goes into a historical review of anti-Semitism, linking it back to Satan's desire to crush the people of God and the promised Savior that would come through them. Bernis also spends quite a lot of time reiterating that God is not finished with the Jewish people, nor has He replaced them as His chosen people. The redundancy on these points gets a little tedious and dry I'm afraid.

    On a positive note, Bernis gives great instruction on how to share the Gospel in a way that is valid, sensitive, and comprehensible to the Jews. He certainly makes a great case for the importance and need to share the Gospel with them, and he demonstrates how the redemption of Israel is linked to Christ's return. I truly appreciated his humility in refusing to speculate on what the "End Times" will look like. What I grew weary of was the redundancy in the first part of the book- I get that the author is committed to correcting misperceptions about the Jewish people...I guess I'm naïve about how widespread and persistent those misperceptions must be in the Church today. So, if he is rightly addressing a real problem, then it's all the more important that you read this book and talk to your Christian friends and family about it. I will say overall, I gained some good insights from this book, particularly in terms of relating the Gospel to the Jews, but I don't think I actually gained much insight on the "Last Days" and I'll wager that this book isn't what you'd expect in light of the title.

    I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Chosen Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.
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